If the apocalyptic news pouring out of Missoula has you wondering about the fate of content marketing, you’re not alone.
Thanks to a lot of brave (and mostly lucky!) researchers, a wealth of new studies have just been released about what zombies are consuming — content-wise, that is. And it’s all great news for savvy B2B marketers who are looking to stay ahead of the horde.
If you’ve been unsure whether you should double down on your company’s content marketing program during the zombie apocalypse, take a bite out of these six jaw-dropping statistics. Scientists may still be struggling to get a grip on the rapidly spreading outbreak, but one thing’s for certain: The apocalypse is gearing up to be a game changer for B2B content marketing.
1. Among zombie B2B buyers, content consumption is up — way up
Society may be crumbling around us, but a new study from DemandGen proves people are still hungry for content. Nearly half of B2B buyers reported reading 3-5 pieces of content before contacting sales; for buyers with zombieism, that number skyrockets to 27.
If you’re wondering how you’ll keep up with content demand, I have good news. According to a new EduCause survey, the average reading comprehension of a Level I zombie is only about third grade, and it drops by about 10% every month for Level II zombies. Just focus on creating snackable pieces with plenty of graphics to ensure your message is easily communicable.
2. Zombies have no short term memory, so go ahead and repurpose existing content
Marketers rejoice — there’s a silver lining in the end times! A recent survey by HubSpot found that Level I zombies were only able to accurately recall content they’d read in the last five minutes. So go ahead and bring your best pieces of content back from the dead. A zombie buyer won’t know the difference.
Plus, Curata reports that only 29% of marketers are currently repurposing content — which means this is great low-hanging fruit if you want to beat back your competitors.
3. Auto-play videos remain the number 1 cause of death in public libraries
Despite repeated warnings from the CDC and Content Marketing Profs, an astonishing 28 percent of companies are still using auto-play videos on their B2B sites.
Which we all know by now can trigger berserker rage in zombie users, folks. It’s time to decapitate this trend for the sake of all our sanity — and in the interest of public safety.
4. Social media is not just for Millennials
According to Social Media Examiner, 42 percent of Level I zombies have active Twitter accounts and tweet at least 5 times each day. Surprisingly, that number goes up to 23 times per day for Level II zombies. About two thirds of those are retweets, which means the possibility of your content going viral is huge.
B2B marketers need to be paying attention here, especially since Forrester reports that 68 percent of buyers — both zombie and human — have made purchases based on recommendation on social media.
5. Zombies are fanatical about brand loyalty
That same Forrester report shows that 85 percent of zombies reported they were more likely to buy a product they had used before they contracted zombieism than one they hadn’t tried.
Surprisingly, that percentage goes up 7 points as zombies progress from Level I to Level II. This suggests that zombies tend to seek out the comfort of past experiences the further they get from humanity — and might just turn into your biggest brand advocates.
Savvy B2B brands should focus on the delight factor in order to create infectious loyalty in zombie customers as they devolve.
6. The zombie buyer journey has some unusual twists and turns
You’re already mapping your content to the buyer journey — but don’t forget to map it to the zombie devolution journey, as well. Whereas the majority of human B2B buyers surveyed by Marketbridge preferred to reach out to sales via phone or email, 97 percent of zombie buyers preferred to stalk the salesperson to their home.
This presents some fascinating new opportunities to keep your brand “top of brain.” Think yard signs, posters, and even guerrilla tactics like sidewalk chalk.
The fate of the world may be bleak, but the future of content marketing is brilliant!
As their competitors struggle to cope with the apocalypse, forward-thinking B2B marketers are looking at the content marketing opportunity of a lifetime. This is your chance to turn your brand into an industry leader — so stay safe out there, and keep creating amazing content!
If nothing else, we’ll all need plenty to read while we’re in hiding from the hordes.